The largest and the oldest university specializing in linguistics in Russia, Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU), has included the study of Kurdish language in its curriculum of 35 languages.
Currently, 12 students are enrolled in Kurdish language courses. In particular, students are being taught the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish.
MSLU decided to offer Kurdish language courses as a result of geopolitical dynamics, the head of MSLU told Kurdistan24.
The courses were organized by a scholar and writer, Vadim Makarenko, who authored several monographs, including those devoted to Russian-Kurdish historical relations.
Russia has a special historical relationship with Kurds, according to Makarenko.
According to the figures of the last Russian census from 2010, there are 63,818 Kurds living in Russia with Russian citizenship. However, the unofficial number of Kurds in Russia is above 200,000.